PYD-led forces raid houses of Thuwar Raqqa leaders

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Powerful Kurdish PYD militia attacked headquarters and houses of leaders belong to Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa to force the mostly tribesmen group to comply by PYD policies before the start of Raqqa battle against the Islamic State, sources said.

A military source talked to Zaman al-Wasl on condition of anonymity reported that armed groups led by Abo Saleh Ahfad, Fayad al-Ghanim, Abo Haidar al-Naeemi, with help of military intelligence security of People’s Protection Units (YPG) and members of PYD have attacked houses of leaders and members of Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa in villages of Karmazah, al-Tiba, Jahjah, Midlij, Khirbat al-Jahsha, al-Faris and barriers Northern and Western of Ain al-Essa town. They arrested 5 leaders, 9 members and took them to unknown place. The source mentioned that clashes are still since Thursday evening till the time of preparing the news.

The source added that YPG, affiliate of PYD aim from the attack to dissolve Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa, and force its leaders to comply to their orders by forcing it into a bone-breaking battle in order to turn it into a small battalion like those they formed to benefit of their Arabic names in the battle of Raqqa.

The source mentioned that the operation was sudden and surprising, the brigade’s members tried to avoid causing any losses, he mentioned that PYD’s militias are still seizing houses and headquarters, while the brigade’s fighters have stayed in alert status around the headquarter of Abo Issa and the security office and military council.

The military source mentioned that the act has been planed to for a while, when a prominent leader of PYD said in a meeting of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said: “we will push Arabs fight with each other and we will get out safely.”

The first betray of PYD for its Arab allies was in 2015 when they ended al-Bakir battalion in Tal Tamer and Abo Rasin in Hasaka, while the second was in September 2016 when PYD attacked the headquarters of Liwa al-Tahrir in the village of Gunaitra in the town of Soluk northern of Raqqa.

Mahmood al-Hadi, head of political office of Thuwar al-Raqqa Front, confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that Liwa thuwar al-Raqqa will launch a battle against the Islamic State to liberate the city after controlling it by the Islamic State since January 2014.

Democratic union party (PYD) leads the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces since 2015. It consists different military arms: people’s Protection Units (YPG), Women Protection Units (YPJ) , Sanadid forces, Syriac Military Council, Operation room of Borkan al-Furat, beside the collection of al-Jazeera brigades and Jaish al-Thuwar with al-Akrad front.